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The Wordhord Hana Videen

The Wordhord By Hana Videen

The Wordhord by Hana Videen


£12.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 2 left

Summary

An entertaining and illuminating collection of weird, wonderful and downright baffling words from the origins of English.

The Wordhord Summary

The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English by Hana Videen

An entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. 'A marvelous book' Neil Gaiman 'Wonderful' - Tom Holland 'A lovely, lovely read' - Lucy Mangan 'Splendid' - David Crystal 'Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.' Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered gems of words together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you'll never see English in the same way again.

The Wordhord Reviews

Splendid ... It is the perfect way to be introduced to Old English. There is insight on every page, in a beautifully clear and down to-earth style, with lovely humorous asides. -- David Crystal
A wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure, a joyfully clever exploration of early medieval life. -- Edward Brooke-Hitching author * The Madman's Library *
A rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights to dip into during stolen moments. I loved this book-and learnt more from it than from any number of solemn language primers. Hana Videen has created a marvel. -- Nicola Griffith, author of 'Hild'
A lively linguistic history * BBC History Magazine *
Brilliant. So rich with detail. If you're at all interested in Old English you'll love it. -- History Today * Kate Wiles, senior editor *
A lovely, lovely read ... written with such love and care and accessibility to the lay person that you can feel it just doing you good - feeding your soul and your brain at the same time. * Lucy Mangan *
Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. If you're interested in Old English (and for that matter, even if you're not!) it's an absolute treat. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *
A wonderful book that blends linguistics with a survey of everyday life in early Medieval England. If you want to know why music was known as dream-craeft, what was meant by sawel-dreor - 'soul blood' - or the origins of our days of the week, then this is for you. It constitutes a veritable leornung-hus, or 'learning house'' -- Tom Holland * BBC History Magazine *
Delightful ... [Videen's] etymological journeys [are] full of satisfying twists ... the book is released in time for Christmas wassailing, and would make a classy gift to the commonly word-drunk ... it's a pleasure just to be reminded of [early Medieval people's] world-craft. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *
Eminently giftable ... A book to be dipped in and out of for the riddles and enjoyable factoids -- James Marriott * The Times *
A treasure trove of forgotten words, their meanings and origins, written with insight and humour, and beautifully designed -- Marshall Julius
[An] entertaining linguistic history...Well researched and cannily written, this smart survey makes the old feel new. * Publishers Weekly *
Engaging, conversational, humorous, and full of surprising revelations * Library Journal *
Hana Videen is one of a rare and treasurable breed of enthusiasts . . . both a passionate medievalist and a relaxed, lucid writer; the pleasure she takes in her subject is infectious. -- Henry Hitchings * Wall Street Journal *
Remarkable ... Videen beautifully captures the everyday life of Old English speakers through their practical, everyday terms. * The American Conservative *
Delightful ... It unlocks the 1000-yearold treasure trove of Old English words that inflect our language and understanding of the world. * Sydney Morning Herald *
With this book Videen proves herself to be a gifted scop (storyteller) and an excellent guide to this vanished time. * TLS *

About Hana Videen

Hana Videen has been hoarding Old English words since 2013, when she began tweeting one a day. Now over 20,000 people follow for these daily gems from her wordhord. Following her Old English doctorate at King's College London, she is now a writer and blogger in Canada, translating curiosities of history into engaging narratives.

Additional information

GOR012091316
9781788166102
1788166108
The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English by Hana Videen
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Profile Books Ltd
20211111
304
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - The Wordhord